Conventional stimulation devices that stimulate living tissue, such as organs and cells of a human body, include a battery as a source of power. In the case of the heart, for example, cardiac rhythm management is accomplished by the use of pacemakers and defibrillators (collectively known as cardiac stimulation devices). These devices typically deliver pulses to the heart in order to cause the heart to contract in a manner according to the programming of the cardiac stimulation device.
Whether a cardiac stimulation device or some other stimulation device, manufacturers of these conventional devices must guarantee the reliability and resistance to battery leakage of these devices. This means that new stimulation devices must undergo extremely stringent testing, which adds to the expense of development and testing.